The Testimony of Jesus by George W. Reaser

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 20, 1912

The Testimony of Jesus

By George W. Reaser

VII—The True Church Identified by Prophecy

THE latest United States Bulletin of religious statistics gives the number of denominations in this country as 186. There never was a time in the history of the world, when there were so many different religious bodies. To many honest souls it is a matter of real perplexity to decide where to place their church-membership. To undertake a diligent search of all of the creeds of all of the denominations, in order to settle the question as to which is the true church, would be almost a hopeless task. Until a comparatively recent date in the world's history, denominations had not multiplied to any considerable extent. In view of the great multiplication of religious bodies in the last days of the world's history, would it not be a happy thing for those who are honestly searching for the true church, if Jesus, by the “sure word of prophecy,” had designated and clearly identified the church in the very last generation, which has the approval of Heaven? Does it not appeal to you, reader, that this very thing ought to have been foretold by “the testimony of Jesus?”

One church is brought to view in the field of prophecy as “drunken with the blood of the saints,” and it is further stated that this fallen church has numerous daughters (Rev. 17:3-6). To reject the call and to be found identified with any of these false bodies, after God issues the call to “come out” of them, would mean eternal death (chapter 18:4).

Prophetic Characteristics of the True Church

If the great, corrupt church is identified by prophecy, have we not reason to expect the identification of the true church by the same agency? Can any church in the last days consistently claim to be the true church, unless it is preannounced as such by “the testimony of Jesus”? If we are living near the end of time, and if we are seeking for the true church, we must continue our search until we have found the one that Jesus has preannounced by the spirit of prophecy. Is there a vital difference between the denominations of Christendom? And if so, what does the spirit of prophecy declare that difference to be? If Jesus has designated the special point of distinction by which we may recognize His church in the last days, and we should find that the great false church points to the special distinguishing mark or sign specified by Jesus more than 1,800 years ago, when we discover this point of distinction, we may be confident that we have located the church of the First-born. Now for the distinction: A recent Catholic journal, in commenting upon the authority for Sunday observance, makes the following statement:

If our authority for keeping Sunday be the fourth commandment, . . . the whole Christian world lies convicted of a serious breach of God's law. Stay! This is not true. There is a curious sect, called, I believe, Seventh-day Adventists, which literally obeys. They alone, then, of all Christians, keep the whole of God's commandments.

Now let us see how this corresponds with the identification of the last church, given by Jesus, through the spirit of prophecy. He said, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17); and again, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (chapter 14:12). Our search, fellow Christian, was not long; we were not compelled to make an exhaustive study of all the creeds of Christendom. Two verses of prophecy, if we read their connection, settle the whole question. Another glance at these texts will reveal other points of identification. The church that keeps the commandments is not popular; it is persecuted by the dragon, Satan; it is waiting patiently for the return of our Lord to give it the final victory; it keeps “the faith of Jesus,” and it has “the testimony of Jesus Christ,” and “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Rev. 19:10.

Jesus' final effort in all Scripture, was to leave for mankind the strongest possible basis for faith, by inspiring or dictating the book of Revelation, which is one of the most distinctive prophetic books in the entire Scripture canon. In this book He prophetically promised to witness in His “remnant”—His very last church in the earth, by “the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 12:17). If the witness of Jesus is by “the spirit of prophecy,” then the church that has the true gift of the spirit of prophecy manifested in it, has the witness of Jesus.

Christ Will Not Witness Through a Fallen, a Corrupt Church

What constitutes a fallen church?—One that is persistently disobedient to the requirements of God; one that violates His Word, and that does not keep His commandments.

What constitutes a true church?—One that is loyal and obedient to God's Word; one that keeps His commandments and His truth.

Then when we discover a church which is prophetically pointed out as obedient to the commandments of God, and that has “the testimony of Jesus,” what must we conclude concerning such a church?—Surely that it has the characteristics of the true church, for this twofold evidence is Heaven's own witnessing to God's true church in the last generation.

Apply the Test, Then Stand on the Side of Safety

What, then, is the strongest twofold evidence of the true church in the last days?—The keeping of the commandments of God and the manifestation of the gift or spirit of prophecy in the Heaven-approved church (Rev. 12:17; 19:10). You can apply this test to any church. There can be but one result. Wherein, then, does safety lie in seeking church affiliation? There can be but one answer, and this answer must be apparent to the reader: for if the testimony, the witnessing, of Jesus, is the spirit of prophecy, it follows that the church which has the testimony of Jesus—the spirit of prophecy—has the strongest evidence that Heaven can supply that it is “the church of the First-born,” of which Christ is the living Head.

From the quotation above given, I am driven to the conclusion, by the overwhelming weight of evidence, that the last Heaven-approved church in the world's history will not only have strong faith in the spirit of prophecy, but the true spirit of prophecy will be manifested in said church.

If the church, walking in the light of God's revealed truth, shall find its constituency less than others, and its doctrines unpopular, wherein shall its membership assure themselves that they are in the right and are God's true people? There is one unfailing guide; it is the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy.

If the Lord has placed the true spirit of prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, He has thereby placed the strongest possible evidence in that church that it is His own true church.

One Church Has Favorable Mention in Prophecy

So far as the writer has been able to discover, there is but one church in the last days that receives favorable mention in prophecy, and this would indicate that it holds the credentials of Heaven as being God's true church. There are doubtless many individuals in all of the so-called Christian churches whom God recognizes as His children; but laying aside all prejudice, and accepting the Bible statement of the situation, there is but one church that can consistently lay claim to the honored distinction of having the characteristics which Inspiration points out, and hence as having the approval of Heaven.

Therefore if we are convinced, by the array of prophecy on the subject, that we are living near the close of time, near the event of our Lord's second coming, would it not be the part of wisdom to seek out and identify ourselves with the church which, according to Christ's specifications through the spirit of prophecy, has the recognition of Heaven as “the church of the First-born”?

The church whose whole system is built upon prophecy, and whose every doctrine and tenet of faith is interwoven with prophecy, and which has the true spirit of prophecy manifested within its fold, is most surely built upon the strongest and safest possible foundation. I repeat, The true spirit of prophecy manifested in the church is His witness to His own true church. He can not deny Himself; therefore He can not witness through a false church.

The other church, styled “Babylon,” is brought to view in the same prophetic outline; but this great false church is never brought into the field of prophecy except as under the curse of God; never as having His approval. A brief statement of Jesus' prophetic description of her is that she “is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” What a striking contrast Inspiration makes between these two latter-day churches! Recognition of this contrast, this vast difference, will lead the wise to make the right choice.

Again, let us observe that whenever the true spirit of prophecy is manifested, it is the strongest effort of Jesus to witness to His people. How important, then, is the gift! The church or the individual that ignores or denies the spirit of prophecy, repudiates the testimony of Jesus; for “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” And to repudiate prophecy is to deny Jesus Christ; for it is His voice, speaking through the prophets (1 Thess. 5:20).

In view of all this, let us gladly listen to the voice of God, intonated with divine love, ringing down through the ages, and appealing to every honest heart: “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 2 Chron. 20:20. “I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.”